Polishing Front End of Sega CD Model 1

[racketboy]

So I'm getting excited about getting a Model 1 Sega CD. Most units now have some scuffs and scratches. I love the slick 90s design with the lights and all and would love to bring it closer to its original shine.

Is this even possible? Is there any product that will make it shine and buff out scuffs without making the finish dull?

[CRTGAMER]

Not just Polish, but specific Plastic Cleaner Mirror Glaze - http://www.racketboy.com/forum/viewtopi ... 36#p398336

[racketboy]

Not just Polish, but specific Plastic Cleaner Mirror Glaze - http://www.racketboy.com/forum/viewtopi ... 36#p398336

Thank for the heads-up. Is that cleaner just for clear plastic though? What about the black plastic. My 32X unit is pretty rough and ideally I would like to polish that up too. Thoughts?

[Ziggy]

There are some "polishes" that are really just extremely fine abrasives. The idea is that you essentially sand down the area very slightly. This works for scuffs and light scratches, but wont work for deep scratches. There's a number of products that I've seen people use for this purpose. Techmoan demonstrates using Brasso in this video...



The Sega 32X (and Genesis) plastic is a little funny. Whatever product you use, I would try it first in an unexposed area like the bottom. And a very small area, say 1 inch. You could tape off a square in with masking tape. Just in case it ends up wrecking the plastic.

[racketboy]

Yeah I kinda figured as much about the abrasive. Brasso would be nice as I actually have a bottle of that already.
This 32X unit I bought off someone on here a while back and its pretty rough. I could try the bottom first, but I can't image the top looking much worse without taking a knife to scratch it up more... It almost looks grey/dirty all the time even if you wipe it down with a dampened rag.

[Ziggy]

Yeah, there's something funny about the old black Sega plastic.

Also, be careful around the logos. I learned the hard way, alcohol will remove the logo. An abrasive polish will certainly remove the logo.

[racketboy]

So my 32X test went pretty well and gave me a good feel for things.

I brought the 32X to my parents house since my dad is a big car guy and I knew he's a fan of Mequire's products and would have Armor All (seen that recommended before)

My mom also volunteered a Mr Clean Magic Eraser. So I did the Magic Eraser first and that cleaned it up pretty nice and get the overall finish a lot better and consistent. It still looked a bit dull (but much better than before). So my dad and I put some low-shine Armor All and it did a nice job. Seems much more in line with my memory of how it should look.

There's still a lot of surface scratches show, but it looks more "expected". So looking pretty solid, just not pristine. But like I said, that 32X was in rough shape, so its a grand improvement. I don't feel like it's an embarrassment anymore

[Michi]

Oh, yes. That is a definite improvement. Looks good, racket.

[Ziggy]

The Armor All will sort of "fill in" the scuff and light scratches and hide them. It's why light scratches on your car disappear when it's wet, same principle. It's more of a temporary fix (it'll last as long as the Armor All stays on the plastic) compared to "polishing" it, not that that's a bad thing. I've seen people use other products too, like WD-40. I'm not sure how I feel about putting something oily on my consoles, I'm not even a big fan of using Armor All in the car. But Armor All is an interesting choice because it protects against UV damage, which would be beneficial for beige stuff.

That 32X is looking good, Racket!

[CRTGAMER]

Thank for the heads-up. Is that cleaner just for clear plastic though? What about the black plastic. My 32X unit is pretty rough and ideally I would like to polish that up too. Thoughts?

So my 32X test went pretty well and gave me a good feel for things.

I brought the 32X to my parents house since my dad is a big car guy and I knew he's a fan of Mequire's products and would have Armor All (seen that recommended before)

My mom also volunteered a Mr Clean Magic Eraser. So I did the Magic Eraser first and that cleaned it up pretty nice and get the overall finish a lot better and consistent. It still looked a bit dull (but much better than before). So my dad and I put some low-shine Armor All and it did a nice job. Seems much more in line with my memory of how it should look.

There's still a lot of surface scratches show, but it looks more "expected". So looking pretty solid, just not pristine. But like I said, that 32X was in rough shape, so its a grand improvement. I don't feel like it's an embarrassment anymore

Looks pretty good. In answer to your earlier question, yes the "cleaner" I recommended works on any plastic and removes fine scratches.

The Armor All will sort of "fill in" the scuff and light scratches and hide them. It's why light scratches on your car disappear when it's wet, same principle. It's more of a temporary fix (it'll last as long as the Armor All stays on the plastic) compared to "polishing" it, not that that's a bad thing. I've seen people use other products too, like WD-40. I'm not sure how I feel about putting something oily on my consoles, I'm not even a big fan of using Armor All in the car. But Armor All is an interesting choice because it protects against UV damage, which would be beneficial for beige stuff.

That 32X is looking good, Racket!

The Armor All a good follow up to "lubricate" the plastic leaving a shiny coating. If the plastic dulls out again from Armor All evaporation exposing the buffing from the Magic Eraser Pad, give the Meguire Mirror Glaze Cleaner a go. I keep a bottle of the #17, works great for hand polishing small scratches out of CDs and DVDs.

I use WD-40 to detail my engine bay (my avatar) for car shows, lubricating my garage tools and garden shears. It does leave an oily film which tends to attract dust, so not idea for a game console. The Armor All more forgiving due eventually drying off after setting.